


ANYTHING FOR YOU

by SomeAbnormalMartian



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:26:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26634313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeAbnormalMartian/pseuds/SomeAbnormalMartian
Summary: Spencer receives a call, just as unexpectedly as the one he received three years ago. He has to return. This time there was no coming back. He would do whatever was necessary to protect his loved ones.
Relationships: Emily Prentiss/David Rossi, Penelope Garcia/Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	1. MR SULLIVAN.

Spencer was sitting in his chair; the sun had raised not long ago. The orangish sky had welcomed him about an hour and a half before —when he had woken up. He was now at the FBI headquarters in D.C. A desk flooding with files was laying in front of him, cases he had been asked to take a look at, a lukewarm mug filled with sugar, and some coffee sat atop his desk, in between case files.

The knife still had fingerprints on it, that’s how they found the culprit of such a heinous crime, the victim had been stabbed fifty-two times, all of them antemortem. The murderer was caught a week later. His name was Carl Saucer. He was the ex-boyfriend of the victim. They had broken up three months ago, Carl hadn’t taken it very well, and seeing a ring on Thomas’ left hand a week before the murder had been his breaking point.

Carl Saucer was now in custody, waiting for the trial to take place. Los Angeles P.D. had been working very efficiently and had come up with many different proofs that put Carl as the undeniable murderer of his ex-boyfriend, Thomas Mc Allister. However, LAPD couldn’t figure out how Carl had entered the house. There were no signs of forced entry; Thomas had changed all the locks after the fatal break-up. Only his fiancé had a copy of the keys.

The fiancé had been on a flight when the murder had taken place. They had checked his alibi. He had been telling the truth. LA P.D. had interviewed everyone who had had access to the house in the last six months and had come up empty. Spencer was now reviewing the photos that the LAPD officer, John Whitemore, had sent him. He couldn’t find any sign of forced entry. The fiancé had confirmed that nothing looked out of place.

Carl Saucer’s financial records hadn’t brought up anything suspicious. It took him a couple of sips of his coffee to figure it out —Carl had joined a dating service five days ago. He had gone on a date with only one person, a skittish looking man who had a theft record. Carl probably had tricked him somehow into stealing the keys from Thomas to make a copy. Then, with the keys in his hands, he entered the house and cold-bloodily murdered his ex-boyfriend.

Spencer was just getting off the phone with the LA officer when the rest of the team arrived. Hotch had nodded towards him and made a beeline towards his office. JJ was already in her office. He hadn’t noticed her arrival. He must’ve been truly focused.

“Hey, pretty boy.” Morgan halted in front of his desk. Garcia and Emily were standing next to him, grin on their faces. “What are you up to?” Morgan furrowed his left eyebrow, he was smiling.

“Just finishing a consult,” he looked around, frowning at the looks Emily and Garcia were throwing his way. “What?”

“You’re here early.” Emily pointed out, a smirk appearing on her face.

“So?” he asked, still not seeing where she was going with her previous statement.

“So, who is it?” Penelope chimed in, an avid-gossip-hunger-look appearing on her eyes.

“Who is what?” he asked, eyeing all of them suspiciously.

“Leave the boy alone.” Rossi had come in at that moment, saving him from the scrutiny of his colleagues and friends. “Though I would like to know as well,” he said, looking pointedly at Spencer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was working on a case. Don’t you have work to do?” he asked, dismissing everyone.

Yet, he knew what they were talking about. It had been a month since he had begun to act even stranger than usual. He had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.

At lunchtime, everyone had gone out for some Thai food. Spencer, however, decided to stay in. It had been one of those extremely rare days where they hadn't been called in —paperwork day— as Morgan had said. John, the LAPD officer had called him. They had caught the man who Carl had dated. The trial would take place next week. Spencer wished them luck and got off the phone.

The huge pile that had sat atop his desk earlier in the morning had decreased enormously. He picked up the last file and started looking at the M.E. report. It was another murder cause. They couldn't identify a substance that had been found on Jane Doe's toxicologic report.

The ring of a phone startled him. He looked around; none of his colleagues had come back. He looked at his flip phone. There weren't any incoming calls. Where was the ringing coming from, then? He looked around his table. He didn't find the source of the ringing from anywhere around the mess his desk was in.

Was he becoming crazy? He looked through the first two drawers of his desk, nothing. There was only one drawer left —the locked one—. He hesitated for a couple of seconds, then, he unlocked the drawer —he had fished out the key from somewhere inside his bag—.

With a racing heart, he looked around the drawer —a couple of files, some photos, one of his mum's letters, and a ringing phone—. He picked up the phone with trembling hands; this could only mean bad news.

"Hello?" he spoke, unsure. Who could it be? He had left that life a long time ago.

"Mr Sullivan!" a voice exclaimed at the other end of the phone. "We've been trying to contact you since yesterday night..." the woman at the other end paused for a few seconds, which only caused Spencer's elevated heart rate to increase.

"Has something happened?" he asked, not even bothering to cover the anxiousness of his voice —no one should have this number—.

"Your husband has been injured. The doctors are still doing tests..." the woman waited patiently for a reply.

"What hospital is he in?" Reid's reply came as soon as his brain processed the news, not even ten mere seconds after the woman finished speaking.

"Salt Lake City Memorial." The woman replied nonchalantly.

"I'm currently travelling. I'll be there on the next flight!" Spencer had hung up before the woman could say anything else.

He knew they would come looking for him soon, but the only thing he could think about right now was catching the next flight to Utah. He knew what the call meant; he would have to leave everything behind, again.

He emptied the contents of the last drawer and put them inside his bag. With the bag hanging on his shoulder, he quickly annotated the name of the unknown substance on the file report. He cleared his desk in a couple of minutes, only a huge pile of files decorated the now almost empty table.

He knew he couldn't leave without explanations, not if his team was there. He made his way towards Strauss's office. Thankfully she was there. He didn't want anyone looking for him if he suddenly disappeared, so resigning remained as his only option —there was no way he was getting fired—.

Summoning his strength, he went inside her office. He placed his FBI credentials, badge, and firearm on her desk. Strauss, who had been reading a file until that moment, looked up at him, confused.

"What is this, Dr Reid?" she asked him, frowning.

"My resignation letter." He stated nonchalantly.

"What are you talking about? Has anything happened?" her eyes bored onto his. Reid didn't say a word, which just caused her to rile up. "You can't just leave!" when she found nothing at the young man's expression, she sighed in frustration. "There are procedures. You can't just leave! There is a two weeks period notice before you can resign." She tried again.

"What are you going to do? Fire me?" he smiled at the woman's riled up expression. He hated bureaucrats.

To her bewilderment, Reid left her office. She tried to follow him. To somehow make him change his mind, but the young doctor was long gone. The security tapes at the lobby of the building proved it. She couldn't understand what had just happened. She thought Reid was happy with both his job and his team.

So, why did he do it? It had been so out of the blue; it had completely caught her off-guard. He could've gotten a raise if he wanted it. He was far too valuable; to just let him go. And if the problem had been with his team, they could've arranged his transfer. Then, why did he leave? The answer completely escaped her mind.

Erin Strauss was getting frustrated about the whole Dr Reid's resigning thing by each beating second. She was now storming towards the Director's office. Without bothering to knock, she barged in. Three men were inside the office, the Director himself, and two other men —twins—, dressed in fancy suits. They were tall and well built; they had probably been in the army at some point.

"Section Chief Strauss." The Director looked up at her, a concerned look plastered on his face. The twins turned to look at her. "These gentlemen were asking for Dr Reid's whereabouts. Could you please ask him to come here?" the Director asked calmly.

Erin looked at the men, who were now standing in front of her, studying her expression —two pairs of eyes were now burning holes on her skull. Who were these men? And what did they want from Dr Reid? "Dr Reid resigned about twenty minutes ago. What is going on?" she glanced towards the Director, whose eyes had widened at the revelation; he didn't know anything about the matter.

When her eyes landed back on the men in front of her, they were exchanging looks. "Thank you for your help. Director, Ma'am." One of the men said, and with that, they both left.

"What is going on, Director?" she asked, preoccupied. First, Dr Reid had resigned out of the blue, and now two men from some agency had come looking for him. Could this day get any weirder?

"I have no idea, Strauss. I didn't even know Dr Reid wasn't happy here anymore." The Director replied. Sighing. He knew politics. He just wasn't that fond of them. "And I have no idea who they were, but whatever their business was with Dr Reid, it sounded serious."

Erin sighed as well. She could already feel the massive headache she was about to get. The rest of the team wouldn't take the news of Reid's resigning well. They would like to know what was going on, which, for once, she had no idea of.

"I'll see you later, Director. I have some bad news to deliver." She said, looking at the man one last time before leaving the room.


	2. REUNION.

Strauss went back to her office. She wanted to postpone telling the news for as long as she could, but she knew that would only make her headache worse. She gave herself a couple of hours; there were some meetings she had to attend, and then, she would tell the team. It was almost four in the afternoon when she barged in Hotch's office, who looked up at her, expectantly.

"Agent Hotch. I expect you and your team in the conference room in ten minutes." She said, almost in even tones and stormed out of the office. Hotch looked at her, confused —what was she up to?

Eight minutes later, everyone was in the conference room, looking at each other, confused. Strauss had already been there, waiting. When JJ noticed that she was about to start talking about whatever it is that she had called them for, she looked towards the empty spot on the round table.

"Shouldn't we wait for Dr Reid, Ma'am?" she asked, looking towards the boss of her boss.

"There's no need for that." At her words, everyone frowned. "Dr Reid has resigned." she let out the words slowly, already imagining all the racketing they would cause.

"What?" Morgan was the first one to ask. "That's not possible."

"But he was just here..." Penelope mentioned, suddenly realizing she hadn't seen her G-man since that morning. She had had lunch with Kevin, another FBI analyst. She had assumed Reid had gone out with the rest of the team for lunch.

A whirlwind of questions had followed Garcia's statement. Hotch and Rossi had been the only ones who had remained completely quiet. Since they both heard the announcement, their eyes hadn't left Strauss. There had to be a mistake, right? Why would Reid resign? It made no sense. No matter how much they looked for, there was no sign on the woman's words or expressions that would indicate she wasn't telling the truth.

After a while, everyone noticed that their questions weren't being replied, so they shut up. Looks were exchanged. Astonishment was present on everybody inside the room.

"What happened?" Hotch finally asked, locking eyes with his boss, who looked pissed.

"At lunchtime, Dr Reid came into my office and handed in his FBI credentials, his badge, and his firearm. He said it was his resignation letter. After that, Dr Reid left the building. I went to the Director's office; to talk about the matter, two men were inside his office. They were looking for Dr Reid. Neither the Director nor I know anything else about the matter. I have reason to believe those two men were from some agency; I don't know which, though." she narrated the events that had happened, looking at each of them, gauging their reactions. "And before you can ask, Dr Reid has resigned of his own volition. So, there is nothing you can do about it." She gave them all a pointed look and left; she had another meeting to attend.

"What is she talking about? Why would Reid leave?" Prentiss asked, still shocked about the news.

"I have no idea," Rossi replied, as gobsmacked as everyone else around the room. "JJ, do you know anything? You and Reid are good friends."

JJ looked at him when he mentioned her name; she had been deep in thought. "No. I talked to him yesterday before he left. There was nothing in his behaviour that would suggest this. He was just Spencer." She commented, reliving the conversation they had last afternoon. Spencer had been rambling about some new book he had read.

Meanwhile, Garcia had tried to call him several times to no avail. "His line is disconnected, and I cannot track his location because he has a disposable cell. He probably got rid of it already." She said in a preoccupied tone.

"I'll swing by his place after work." JJ chimed in.

"We'll come with you," Emily added, looking towards Garcia and Derek, who nodded effusively. They all wanted to go to his place, but they didn't want to overwhelm him. The resumed the meeting; they still had work to do.

The two men that had been not long ago in the FBI director's office were now sitting inside a black SUV in a secluded area, somewhere in DC.

"Shouldn't we go to his place?" the slightly taller of the pair, James, asked.

"No, he's probably on his way already. We wouldn't find anything in his place, anyway. We'll wait for him at the hospital. Skar is already there. We should hurry," the other man said, looking ahead of him. They were twins, which, excluding their lookalike appearances, wasn't that obvious; their personalities couldn't be more different. James, the little of the two, had a more caring personality; he was the sociable one, while his older brother was the analytical one, he had a more cold nature, which usually came in handy, especially with the nature of their jobs.

"Yeah, we should hurry, Patrick," James replied, turning on the engine of the vehicle.

Spencer had left Strauss's office in a hurry. He knew what he would have to do —wipe everything out and leave. He had already called his landlord, who had agreed to meet him in an hour at his flat. He dumped the phone on his way to a more transited area. He took a taxi that left him a few blocks away from his place; he paid in cash and quickly made his way towards his apartment.

He was sure no one was following him, but he knew better than to lower his guard. Once inside his flat, he went towards the safe hidden in his living room. He stacked the files inside his bag and picked one of the phones that were inside the safe and dialled a number.

"Hello?" a ragged voice spoke at the other end of the line.

"I need a flight to Salt Lake City. Today." He nonchalantly stated.

"I'll send a car." After the man spoke, Spencer destroyed the phone.

Spencer picked up the rest of the phones and stashed them in his bag. To go next were the passports. Next was a small brown leather bag with a strap; inside it were several cards —ID cards, driving licenses, medical cards, debit cards, and a couple of badges and credentials from different government agencies—, there was also a small USB, tens of dollars worth in cash, two firearms, and a golden ring. The ring had an inscription on the inner side —Kai.

Spencer put the ring on; it fitted perfectly. After that, he placed the leather bag inside the bigger one, next to the phone and passports. Later, he went around the house, getting rid of anything that would point out the house belonged to him. It didn't take him long. He had just got rid of the last picture when the bell rang; it was his landlord.

"Dr Reid? Is there something wrong?" the chubby old man asked once Spencer opened the door and let him inside. He liked Spencer. He never had had a problem with him.

"No, I'm just moving out. I got a job offer, and I have to leave soon." Spencer smiled reassuringly at the man. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving soon. My things will be gone by tomorrow." Spencer handed him an envelope with the month's rent and some extra money; the man had been nice to him since he first moved in.

"There's no need for this, Dr Reid." The man said, looking at him, but Reid insisted, the man sighed.

"Good luck Dr Reid. Wherever you go, they'll be lucky to have you," he smiled at the younger man, Reid smiled back.

"I'll leave the keys on the kitchen," he commented. The man had a set of copies, so he wouldn't have any trouble getting in.

"Very well. Take care of yourself, Dr." The older man said and left after hugging Spencer, an action that startled him.

After his former landlord left, Spencer went to his room and retrieved a ringing phone from his bag.

"Mr Sullivan, everything's ready. Your flight leaves in half an hour. We'll pick you up now." The same voice as earlier announced.

"I'll be down now. I need someone to clean up my place as well." Spencer said, picking up his now much heavier bag.

"We'll send your possessions when you have an address. Safe trip." The man spoke and hung up.

Five hours later, Spencer arrived on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. After a two hours drive, they dropped him off in a crowded area. He took a taxi. Twenty minutes later, he arrived at Salt Lake City Memorial. He still had his CIA credentials, so there wouldn't be any problem with the weapons he was currently carrying.

He went towards the front desk; there were already a few people waiting to be attended. He was getting impatient; he needed to know what was going on. After what felt like hours, it was finally his turn.

"Good evening. I'm looking for my husband, Matthew Sullivan." Spencer spoke quietly, trying not to let his anxiety get the best of him.

"Just a second. Mr. Sullivan, he is on the last floor. You'll need your ID." The woman let out, not looking up from the screen of her computer.

"Thank you very much." With that said, he made his way towards the elevators. Fourth, fifth, sixth floor, he was finally on the last floor. They had cleared it up, he noticed. Two armed men were standing in front of a transparent door.

"Identification?" one of them asked.

Spencer smiled; they hadn't recognized him. "Sice when do you need my identification? Have you already forgotten me?"

"Sullivan?" both men asked at the same time, eyes widening in surprise.

"Who else would it be?" he gave them a sad smile that quickly vanished from his face.

Both men looked at him for a long time. Then, looking at each other, nodded. "Let's go, Skar is already here," James said, opening the door.

When they arrived at the waiting room, a pair of arms flung around him, holding him tight. "Sully!" it was Skar.

"Hey," he said, letting himself be hugged, well, smothered was a better way of describing his current situation. She had changed since he last saw her three years ago. "Do you know what is going on?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"No. The doctors won't tell us anything 'cause we're not family." A smile Spencer couldn't decipher appeared on her face when she said the last words. "You came," she said, more to herself than anyone else. "I thought we would never see you again." The ache in her voice and eyes didn't escape Spencer's notice.

"Mr. Sullivan?" a man in his forties approached them. He was wearing a white coat. He must be Matthew's doctor.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't come earlier. Do you know what is wrong with my husband?" he asked worriedly, he was afraid of the response he would get.

"I'm afraid we don't know; your husband had suffered a car accident. He has no injuries from the accident, but he had several seizures since he was brought to the hospital. We had to put him into a medically induced coma. We're still doing tests. Hopefully, we'll find the cause of his seizures. When we do, we'll be able to wake him up." The doctor said solemnly and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Thank you. Can I have a copy of the tests?" Spencer tried to return the smile but failed miserably.

"I'll have a nurse deliver it to you." The doctor said, and with a nod left.

"Hey, it will be alright. Matthew is a fighter." James tried to encourage him; he knew how much he hated hospitals.

Spencer slumped himself into one of the chairs, closing his eyes. He pulled his knees towards his chest and hid his head. Matthew couldn't die; he couldn't; he couldn't leave him…


	3. WAKING UP.

It was past midnight when Spencer left the inhospitable place his mind had gone. A nurse had come in and had handed him a stack of papers. They contained the results of all the tests they had done to his husband. He had reviewed them all several times. He couldn't determine the reason for his husband's current state. There hadn't been any developments; they still couldn't find the causes of his seizures. At last, Skar had to tear the documents apart, which hadn't been that effective; after all, he had an eidetic memory.

One thousand eight-hundred and thirty-one days had passed since he had left; since he last saw them; since he last saw Matthew. Skar was fast asleep on the chair next to his; James and Patrick were nowhere to be seen; he looked for a phone and started calling numbers. He needed information. If all this had anything to do with what had happened three years ago, Spencer had to be prepared. He had never expected that call, almost three years ago. It had changed everything; he had to leave everything behind and not look back, at least not for a while.

He had been reading the same page for over ten minutes when James and Patrick arrived. He didn't notice them until the smell of coffee reached his nostrils; the twins were smiling when he looked up.

"I almost forgot that you go into your own world when you read," Skar said, stretching up for the cup of coffee Patrick was offering her.

Reid turned to look at her, a sad smile displayed on his face. "Hey, Skar."

The brunette woman gave him a nostalgic look. "We've missed you, you know..."

A bolt of pain shot through Spencer's body. "I missed you too."

"Why did you leave, then?" Skar had tried to refrain herself from asking the question, but her curious nature won.

"I had to." Spencer looked meaningfully toward his old colleague and friend, then directed his gaze towards the source of the footsteps that were getting nearer to their location. It was the same doctor as earlier.

Dr Jenkins —as Reid read the name engraved on the small metallic plaque on the doctor's white coat—, looked apprehensive. Spencer feared the worst.

"Mr Sullivan, we have done several tests. We cannot determine the cause of your husband's seizures. I'm afraid there's a high probability that if he does not wake up soon, he never will." The doctor's voice was gentle, just as his eyes were. He had seen death one too many times, just like everyone else present in the room.

Spencer stayed silent for a long moment. Due to his husband's delicate situation, no visits were allowed. Not until a CIA certificate doctor would determine that the nature of his husband's illness had nothing to do with his work, past or present. He wasn't allowed to be in his husband's presence. He couldn't comfort him nor speak to him. There was nothing he could do for him. He felt helpless; sitting around doing nothing wasn't his most powerful feature. To sit and do nothing, while someone he loved was on the verge of death, that was unbearable.

He had to distract himself; he couldn't allow his mind to wander off. He started pacing the room. James and Patric had left, probably to do some surveillance around the building. Skar was looking at him; he knew he had destroyed whatever relationship they had, but he never expected her to be so cold, not when they had been so close in the past. She was like a sister to him, one Spencer swore to protect, no matter what. He had to make this right; this at least he could do.

"Skar..." he waited for the woman to look at him. He sat next to her, locking eyes. "I'm sorry that I left, and I'm sorry that I hurt you, I didn't mean to do so. Something happened, and I had to go. I want you to know that. I would never have left otherwise." When she heard the words, she knew Spencer was telling the truth, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

"I can't tell you what happened, not yet. There's something I have to do first." Spencer looked at his former friend, hopefully. He didn't want to lose her.

A smile crept up the brunette's façade. "I want full details of everything," Skar's commanding voice demanded.

"Of course." Spencer smiled warmly at her. He had his friend back.

"I missed you, Genius. Patrick and James were driving me crazy!" a pair of arms snuck out to hug him tightly.

"So, you've decided to hold a family reunion without us?" James asked, quirking up his right eyebrow. The twins were back.

At Spencer's sheepish expression, Patrick intervened. "It's okay, Sully. We know you had your reasons. You'll tell us when you're ready." He gave his former colleague a halfhearted smile.

Spencer smiled back. He wanted to ask about Matthew: how had he been, what had Matt been up to, was Matthew happy, was Matthew... was he seeing anyone. Spencer couldn't bring himself to do so, not now. He wanted Matthew to tell him himself.

At dawn, a nurse came by and told them that there hadn't been any changes in Matthew's condition. A couple of hours ago, they had stopped administrating him the drugs that would put him in a coma. The doctor said he should wake up soon. Spencer had spent all night long listening to stories from his friends. They had left the agency and had been working on their own ever since, just as they had planned three years ago. They made good money, they were happy. Their job was similar to the one they did in the agency; however, they didn't have to risk their lives as often, and they had the option of turning down job offers. They located people, collaborated with other agencies, from time to time, they fixed problems.

At 2:37 p.m., Spencer received a single message from an unknown phone number —I'm sorry. His eyes widened; he was in trouble. He had kept his end of the deal, what was going on? Did they have anything to do with Matthew's condition? Spencer's phone went off while he was deep in thought; he picked up seconds before the call ended. There wasn't any sound or voice at the other end.

"We have to talk," Spencer commented; he knew who was calling.

"Yes, we do. Not now, though. Call me when the time's right." The person at the other end of the line terminated the call.

Spencer waited impatiently for his husband to wake up, but all the news he got were —his condition remains the same—, and pitiful looks, lots of sympathetical glances. It was 8:03 p.m. when a set of footsteps startled him; one of the doctors had come to check on him not even an hour ago, and Skar and the twins had gone to the cafeteria.

"Mr Sullivan. Your husband has woken up. We have some tests to do, but you'll be able to see him shortly." A petite woman dressed in dark blue scrubs smiled at him.

Spencer's heart was racing; Matthew had woken up! "Thank you." he smiled at the woman with tears glistening on his eyes.

The tests took almost an hour, Skar and the twins were nearly as impatient as he was.

"You can see him now." The same nurse as before guided them all towards a room near the end of the hallway.

The twins went in first; Spencer perched himself near the slightly ajar door, not daring to cross the threshold. A hand came to rest on his shoulder. "What if he doesn't want to see me?" he asked, looking at Skar's green orbs.

His friend smirked, nodding her head in denial, amused. "He's not seeing anyone, and the last time I checked, he was still drooling whenever he saw a picture of you." The comment made Spencer blush, to which her friend started chuckling.

When Spencer finally entered the room, the sight of Matthew put his worries to rest. His face was intact; he couldn't say any injuries; he sighed, relieved. Skar, sensing his nervousness, went ahead and saluted his friend. Suddenly the room fell silent; all eyes were on him; Matthew's grey eyes were on him.

"Well, aren't you going to come and kiss your husband?" Matthew, his Matthew, no, not his, not anymore, asked. His eyes were bright and shining. Spencer rushed forward and carefully sat next to his husband, hugging him tightly.

"Idiot," Spencer muttered what made everyone in the room laugh.

Matthew let himself be hug; he had missed him. His heart broke when Spencer left without a word, and now he was back. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself together if he left him again.

Spencer, noticing his uneasiness, retrieved his arms. "What is it? Have I hurt you?"

Matthew's eyes turned a darker shade of grey, cold, just like his voice. "When are you leaving?" he asked the question while looking throughout the window, towards the opposite direction of Spencer.

"Matt... Matthew," Spencer carefully turned his face so he would look at him. When their gazes met, the hurt on those grey eyes frightened him; had he done this? "I'm not leaving..."

The words got stuck on Matthew's head; a tear escaped his left eye. Spencer quickly brushed it away with his fingertip. Matthew enveloped him with his arm; none of them wanting ever let go.

"So, who is it?" it was almost midnight. The twins and Skar had gone to a hotel; they needed sleep. Spencer was laying down next to Matthew on the hospital bed. He had fallen asleep some time ago, and Spencer had failed to notice that he had woken up already.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer turned to look at him.

"Well, you left, so it must be someone remarkably important. Whoever they are, they must be lucky that you love them." Spencer frowned upon hearing the words; this wasn't anything like the Matthew he knew.

"Matthew... I didn't leave because I had someone else. I don't. Something came up, and I had to go. It had to do with the case. I can't tell you anything yet. There are some things I have to do first.

"What? What is it?" Matthew's eyes widened, he inspected Reid for any sign that he was lying; he found none.

Spencer shook his head. "We'll talk when you're better."

Matthew huffed. "I am better!"

Spencer smiled; that was more like the Matthew he knew. "No, you're not. You're awake, but you're not well." He refrained himself from rambling what being well consisted of and different statistics about the recovery times after comas.

Matthew chuckled; he had missed his rumblings. "I missed you, Genius boy. Why don't you tell me about my recovery time."

A faint blush appeared on Spencer's cheeks. Matthew always listened whenever he started rambling. He never told him to shut up —not even when Matt had no idea what of what he was talking about. Spencer liked that, and Matthew loved the calmness his voice brought him. And so, Spencer told him everything he knew about recovery time after a coma. The doctors informed them that he would have to stay near a week at the hospital to make sure everything was alright.

They slept with their bodies entangled. The moon was bathing the city with its silvery light, the soft humming of the night accompanied their breaths.

"Don't leave me," escape Matthew's asleep body.

When he woke up the next morning, however, he was alone, very much alone, a few tears escaped his now cold eyes.


	4. KAI, THE REASON I LEFT.

Spencer had received a call sometime after falling asleep, which had resulted in him leaving at some point during the night. Ryan, Jayden Blackthorne's brother, had called. Spencer hadn't known about Ryan's existence until he received a call three years ago. Ryan had called him. He told him he was Jayden's brother. Ryan told him he was in danger; from what Spencer got out of the conversation, Ryan didn't know anything about Kai.

Spencer didn't know what to believe anymore. Jayden hadn't been anything like they told him he would be. He was supposed to be an illicit arms dealer. His mission was to get anything on him, so they could press charges and prosecute him. However, since the first day, Spencer got a vibe he didn't like from the agency. It was an undercover operation; he would infiltrate with four other agents from different agencies. Spencer's task was to go undercover as a former Law Enforcement agent who had gone rogue. Once he was a member of Blackthorne's organization, he would make his way up to Jayden Blackthorn's inner circle.

Spencer and another agent, Matthew Sullivan, would pose as a married couple while the other three remaining agents would do surveillance and gather information. The operation could take up to five years. Spencer had been reluctant; he had worked undercover before, but only for short periods. Five years was a long time —he wouldn't be able to see his mother. A vacation worth at least six months had finally convinced him.

First of all, was their identities, all of the team would be using their real identities, except Spencer, who would become Mr Sullivan. The first step was to prove their authenticity, so Spencer and Matthew got married, no staging. Then, they would slowly seize the attention of Jayden Blackthorn throughout a series of operations that would put Spencer in the spotlight.

Spencer would pose as a Texas officer who had gone rogue. Matthew, the husband, would pose as a teacher at Austin's High School. It took them a couple of months, but finally, they got Jayden's attention. Spencer had just received a shipment of semiautomatic weapons through the Mexico border when he received a call from Jayden's second in command, Christopher Thomas.

Christopher told him that Mr Blackthorne wanted to meet him alone. They set a time and place. They would meet in one of Mr Blackthorne's properties. Spencer would be going alone, with only two firearms and no backup whatsoever. His coworkers hadn't liked the idea, but they couldn't risk getting him caught wearing wires.

Spencer had been pacing all day long; they would meet in the evening. When he arrived at the meeting location, three men were waiting for him, Christopher Thomas and two bodyguards. One of the bodyguards searched him and took his firearms away.

"You won't be needing them", Christopher said giving him a look Spencer was unable to decipher at the time. It was admiration. Spencer found out later. "Follow me", Christopher began walking towards the inside of the mansion, Spencer followed behind. Spencer memorized everything he saw; they had passed fourteen rooms until they reached their destination. It was a big room, two sofas with a coffee table in between them, a lit chimney in one of the ends of the room, bookshelves filling the walls and a rather large desk opposite the chimney with some files and a laptop.

Mr Blackthorne was waiting for him; he indicated him to sit on the sofa opposite him. Spencer did as was told. "You're a very intriguing man, do you know Mr Sullivan?" he was amused, his expression was earnest, but Spencer could tell.

"I never believed so, Mr Blackthorne. People tend to categorize me more as annoying or tedious. Please call me Spencer, nobody calls me Mr Sullivan." Spencer didn't miss the glint of amusement reflected for a few seconds on the other man's eyes.

"Annoying? I don't think I could ever describe you as so. For as long as you call me Jayden, nobody calls me by my family's name. I must admit you have surprised me, Spencer. I never thought you would take part in such a plot." Spencer's brows furrowed at his words.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer asked, ignorant to whatever the other man was referring to with his words.

Ryan's voice startled him from his flashback. "I know about Kai. You don't have to worry about me, though. Maybe it would be best if he were with you. I'll call when I have more information."

It took Spencer a few minutes to understand what Ryan had said. Kai, he had to get Kai safe. Spencer rummaged through his bag until he found another phone, then dialled the number he knew by heart. "Code red, location SLC", was all he said before throwing away the phone.

It was just after four in the afternoon when Spencer arrived at the café. He ordered a coffee and sat at the back, away from the windows. About half an hour later, a black SUV arrived at the parking lot next to the café. A man nearing his forties and a child about the age of five got out of the vehicle. They went towards the opposing location of the café; there was a park not far away. Spencer finished his second coffee and followed them. They went past the park to a building nearby; Spencer followed them up to one of the flats.

Carefully closing the door behind him, Spencer went towards the windows, to make sure no one followed them. "Daddy!" a pair of tiny hands were clutching his pants, Spencer quickly draw the curtains and picked up the boy. The little boy's arms hugged his neck tightly, never wanting to let go. A chuckle alerted Spencer. It was from David. "He spent the whole ride talking about how he wouldn't let you go once he hugged you."

Upon hearing the words, a silent tear escaped Spener's red eyes. He had missed his son, but he had to keep him away, for his protection. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything were to happen to Kai, he could deal with his son being angry at him, but Spencer couldn't lose his son, there was no way he was going through that. Spencer mouthed a silenced thank you, David had taken care of his son for the past three years. He was an old friend, one he could always count on, for anything.

"You look like hell. Why don't you take a shower? I brought you some of your old clothes." David said, extending his arms towards Kai.

"Daddy stinks!" Kai laughed but stayed still nonetheless.

Spencer sat on one of the kitchen's chairs with Kai clutching his shirt tightly. "Hey buddy, how about I go shower while you help uncle Dave make some pancakes? Spencer asked softly, looking at his son.

"But I don't want daddy to go!" Kai protested.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kai," Spencer said as softly as he could, he didn't want to upset his son.

"Promise?" Kai asked barely above a whisper, holding out his pinkie finger.

"Promise," Spencer said, holding out his finger and intertwining it with his son's. Kai, happy with his father's response, let go of him and went towards his uncle.

Spencer, Kai, and David arrived at Salt Lake City Memorial just as the clock ticked eight o'clock in the evening. They went towards Mathew's room. Kai was walking in between them, holding both men's hands. Spencer had explained to him that they were going to visit daddy's friend. Kai hadn't said a word since then. When they reached the sixth floor, James and Patrick were there, mounting guard. They let him in without saying a word and followed them towards Matthew's room.

Skar and Matthew were having dinner. He could see the pain in their expressions. Spencer hated to leave as he did —especially after having said he wouldn't.— Only he had to, for his son. They both looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.

It was Patrick who finally spoke. "Who are they?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral.

Spencer looked towards him, and then looking at Matthew, answered the question. "This is David, a friend. And this is my son, Kai. Kai is the reason why I left three years ago; David took care of him for me."

  
  
  
  
  



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